The Automated Ball-Strikes system has been tested in the minors since 2021
Baseball purists look away — the human element is slowly being taken out of the game.
Major League Baseball is implementing the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system for the first time this spring; it's been tested in the minor leagues since 2021.
Well, spring training games officially kicked off on Thursday, as the Chicago Cubs visited the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Cactus League in Arizona — and it did not take long for ABS to go into effect.
A general view of an umpires hand picking up a ball during the second inning between the Baltimore Orioles and the Detroit Tigers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 22, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
On just his seventh pitch, Chicago pitcher Cody Poteet threw a 95 mph fastball low and in to Max Muncy, and it was originally called a ball.
The right-hander disagreed with the call, and immediately tapped his hat twice, which is considered the red-challenge fan for pitchers and batters when they want the call to be given a second look.
Sure enough, Poteet's instincts were correct, and the call was overturned, making it an 0-2 count instead of 1-1.
Cody Poteet #38 of the Chicago Cubs works out during Spring Training at Sloan Park on February 16, 2025 in Mesa, Arizona. (Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images)
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The entire ordeal lasted 25 seconds, and play was underway shortly after. The average ABS challenge in the minors has taken 17 seconds, so this should not affect the pace of play, which has significantly increased amid commissioner Rob Manfred's rule changes.
The ABS Challenge System is in place for spring training, and the Cubs took advantage of it in the first inning vs the Dodgers. ⚾️ #MLB https://t.co/qBUAJtm4Gn pic.twitter.com/btV0ZuY5rE
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 20, 2025
Manfred last year said the 2026 season is a "viable option" to have the system implemented full-time.
This spring, teams will get two challenges per game, but are able to retain each challenge won. Only the batter, pitcher, or catcher can challenge a call, and it must be immediately after the call with no help from the bench or other players.
New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) and manager Aaron Boone (17) argue with home plate umpire Ryan Blakney (36) in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium. (Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports)
It is yet another big change to the sport commissioned by Manfred, who implemented a pitch timer, larger bases, and shift limits in 2023. However, fans seem to like the changes, as attendance increased in each of the last two years.
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